'The thing is, being a nerd has secretly always been cool!'

The hall is crammed with stalls and players locked in intense miniature battles.

Despite stereotypes of tabletop gaming as an introverted hobby, the atmosphere gave the sense of a thriving community.

The Beachhead Tabletop Games Expo 2026 welcomed more than 3,500 people to the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) in Dorset as it returned for its 10th year over the weekend.

Organiser Peter Valinski said it was a welcoming community that served as a "safe space" for gamers.

He said: "A lot of people are socially awkward within this hobby but this is their safe space. It's where they feel like someone else likes the same thing as they do.

"I'm always amazed at how nice everybody in this community is. They want to bring in new people and encourage them to get involved.

"They're not closed off - that's quite rare to see."

Wandering through the venue, I was overwhelmed by stalls selling hundreds of miniatures, artworks and accessories for the perfect game night.

The tabletop gaming industry has exploded in recent years thanks to shows like Stranger Things and The Big Bang Theory – along with the endorsement of film stars like Henry Cavill.

A stall full of pink and purple pastel dice and Dungeons and Dragons accessories stood out among the more traditional gritty and dark merchandise you'd expect at this kind of event.

It sat in the middle of what was still a male-dominated space.

"It's mostly for the girls but I get lots of guys coming by as well," said Angie Taylor, who was exhibiting her small business Fey Portal, based in Blandford.

"More and more women, girls and femme people are getting into it.

"They're realising it's a more inclusive space than they thought - and they are welcome.

"Seeing stuff like this really encourages that train of thought. It's not just dark edgy stuff for the guys. There's things they could enjoy in this too."

For a lot of people at the expo, it was nostalgia that drew them in.

Alex Nicolson is a collector of the second edition of Warhammer 40,000 miniatures and merchandise from the 1990s.

The game involves players painting miniature figures and battling with them on detailed tabletop boards.

"This is the game we grew up with that got us into war-gaming - and for a lot of people walking past this weekend, it's just bringing them straight back to their childhood," he said.

"We're able to have the army we always wanted as teenagers - it's living out a dream we weren't able to do back in the 90s."

He estimated that the small collection on his table is worth thousands, but wouldn't tell me exactly how much for fear his wife might read this article.

Next door to the main hall, I found hundreds of players in intense games of Warhammer.

I was introduced to Liam Dempsey, a local ambassador for Models for Heroes, a charity that introduces veterans and serving armed forces and emergency workers to miniature hobbies like Warhammer.

"If you sit and try to talk to them, normally they'll close up quite a lot. But if you have them with a paintbrush in hand, they find it much easier to open up and talk about things," he said.

Liam said it's the perfect way to take a breather from life's stresses.

He continued: "Personally I find that sitting myself in a quiet room for a couple of hours with a paintbrush and enjoying the model, not worrying about the world, makes a huge difference. It's a lovely way to relax."

Leaving the expo, I was struck by the amount of time and effort that many people put into the hobby - not just into the miniatures and creativity - but into community too.

And as Alex puts it: "The thing is, being a nerd has secretly always been cool!"

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